Offering.  We ship bare root seedlings sealed in plastic bags.  All our plants are certified as laboratory-propagated and unless otherwise specified are accompanied with complete instructions for care. The plantlets have been grown from seed in a sterile agar medium and are of proper size and development for establishing in pots or beds. The plants are small and usually produce shoots from 2 to 10 cm high the first year depending on the species.  Such small plants are vulnerable to predators and to desiccation and need continual attention during their first year.  All the species will be shipped, fully vernalized, in spring 2023.

All prices listed are in U.S. currency.

As long term visitors may notice, we have removed some items from our listing because of relatively low demand.  Doing so allows us to focus more heavily on the sought-after species.

Cypripedium acaule. The stemless or pink lady's-slipper has a very large geographic range, from Maine to Georgia and northwest well into Alberta, Canada.  The most important aspect of growing this species is to provide an extremely acid planting mix, pH 4.5 or less. We use a mix of half sand and half sphagnum peat and water using rainwater acidified with vinegar.  

Cypripedium californicum. The California lady's-slipper is endemic to a small area of northern California and southwestern Oregon.  The plant grows into large clumps with multiple flowers per stem.  We have had excellent success growing seedlings in a purely inorganic mix of perlite and Turface® MVP and have had several plantlets bloom only three years out of the flask.  This species prefers fairly bright conditions, and we grow it under 50% shade cloth.  Zones 7-9, possibly also Zone 6, and even Zone 5 with winter mulching.  Under a heavy straw mulch, C. californicum has survived -42 F here in northern Minnesota!
 

Cypripedium candidum. The small white lady's-slipper.  This species from the prairies of the Midwestern U.S. enjoys bright sun in the spring but light dappled shade during the heat of the summer.  In the wild C. candidum grows in moist, calcareous soils.  In culture, the plant thrives with yearly addition of horticultural lime to the planting mix to keep the pH above neutral.  The plants in the photo show some introgression of C. parviflorum var. makasin as in the natural hybrid C. Xandrewsii.  This year we offer seedlings of true C. candidum, which is slightly smaller and has more greenish lateral petals than the plants in the photo. Zones 3-5 and northern Zone 6.
 

Cypripedium guttatum. This native of Alaska and northern Asia requires very cool summertime growing conditions.  In the lower 48 states, we recommend this species only for the northern tier of states, and then only where the maximum daytime temperature exceeds 80 F (27 C) for at most several hours at a time.  Growing this plant outdoors also requires several months of below-freezing winter temperatures for proper vernalization.  Where the climate is sufficiently cool, this species is easy to grow, but it is essentially impossible where the climate is too warm.  This species appreciates morning and late afternoon sun but shade during the hot part of the day.  Zones 2-4, and with special care the coolest parts of Zone 5.

Cypripedium kentuckiense. The southern lady's-slipper. This very beautiful plant is the largest-flowered of all the Cyps. Fortunately, it is also one of the easiest to grow. Although the natural range of the plant is from Kentucky south to Louisiana, it can be grown successfully outdoors as far north as Vermont, Wisconsin, and even northern Minnesota with winter mulch.  This species likes a shady site in the south but prefers increasingly open conditions northward.
Zones 3-7.
 

Cypripedium parviflorum var. makasin.   The northern small-flowered yellow lady's-slipper.  This is the same plant we formerly called "var. parviflorum" following Cribb's (1997) monograph, which lumped var. makasin into var. parviflorum.  We are now calling it "makasin" to be consistent with the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/qsearch.do).   This is a relatively easy plant for a shady, moist woodland garden.  The plant prefers high open shade but tolerates direct sun in early morning or late afternoon.  As with the large-flowered yellow lady's-slipper, the small variety also requires four months at near-freezing temperature for proper vernalization, and so is not a good choice for climates with warm winters.  Although smaller, this plant is just as cold hardy as Cyp. pubescens.  Both the small- and large-flowered yellow lady's-slipper will form large clumps when given favorable conditions in cultivation.  Zones 2-6.
 

Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens. (Formerly Cyp. calceolus var. pubescens.) This is the large-flowered yellow lady's-slipper. This plant is one of the easiest of all the lady's-slippers to grow and thrives in woodland gardens with open shade. The plant requires approximately four months at near-freezing temperature for proper vernalization, and so is probably not a good candidate for climates with warm winters. This plant can withstand harsh northern winters even when there is little snow on the ground.  This is the best plant for people inexperienced in Cypripedium culture. As vigorous as this species is, the seedlings are small and therefore must be protected from all the usual physical threats. Zones 2-6.
 

Cypripedium reginae. The queen's or showy lady's-slipper. Large size, spectacular beauty, and relative ease of culture combine to make this species one of the most desirable for the cool greenhouse or bog garden. C. reginae is slower to leaf out in the spring than other Cyp species, but vernalized seedlings usually produce first leaves within three weeks after being placed in a warm, sunny location. We recommend raising these seedlings in a greenhouse with approximately 50% shading and at least 50% relative humidity for most of the day, but we have successfully carried them through their first season in closed containers under grow lights. In humid climates the seedlings may be planted outdoors if kept very moist and protected from predators. This species cannot be shipped during below-freezing conditions; shipping is timed when weather at both our location and the destination is satisfactory. Zones 2-5.
 

Cypripedium reginae forma albolabium. White-flowered queen's or showy lady's-slipper.  These plants are identical to the normally colored form but have blooms with a pure white lip.  There is no pink whatsoever.  The flowers are guaranteed to be pure white except for yellow spots on the staminode.  If not, we will replace your seedlings.  Forma albolabium seems just as vigorous and cold hardy as the normally colored plants.  Zones 2-5.
 

 Policies.  We sell only laboratory-grown seedlings. All seedlings are shipped with complete instructions for planting out and care. Extremes of temperature are detrimental to seedlings of most Cyp species, and we consult Internet and other sources of weather information to time shipping to avoid hot summer weather or temperatures much below freezing. If you expect to be unable to receive your shipment promptly, please let us know what period to avoid shipping. Parcels of seedlings should be opened and the plantlets given appropriate care immediately upon receipt in accordance with the complete instructions enclosed with the plants.

Guarantee.  Our seedlings are healthy and in good condition when shipped, and they are guaranteed to arrive in this condition.  Because we have no control over cultural treatment, we cannot guarantee them after this point.  If there is a problem with the condition of the seedlings when you receive them, please contact us within 48 hours.

We are always happy to answer cultural questions, so please contact us by e-mail (easiest) or by phone.  Planting instructions for each species will be enclosed with the shipment.

Order Form
Back